Crusader Mk.I	Tamiya, 1/35 scale
Crusader Mk.I Tamiya, 1/48 scale by Brad Fallen

Description

Here is my Tamiya 1/48 Crusader Mk.I, built out of the box except for the German air recognition flag, which came from Archer Fine Transfers.  The model is based on a photo I found of a smiling German soldier leaning against a captured Crusader (fortuitously one of the machines represented in the Tamiya kit) with a flag draped behind him for added effect.

This was the first armour model I’d built since I was a teenager (a long time ago), and the quality of Tamiya’s mouldings made it a very enjoyable experience.  Fit was superb everywhere except for that of the road wheels onto the die-cast hull, with several wheels inconveniently popping off later in the build.  Joins were filled with Tamiya liquid primer, with any excess wiped off before it was dry with a cotton bud dipped in lacquer thinner.

The model was painted with Tamiya lacquer (TS-46 Light Sand), decanted from the rattle can and applied with my ancient Badger single-action airbrush.  This was the first time I’d used Tamiya lacquers like this, but the results were so good – and the drying time so fast – that they’re now my favourite paints.  After a gloss coat of Testor’s Glosscote lacquer (also excellent, even when thinned with Tamiya lacquer thinner), I applied a wash of Pro-Modeller Dark Dirt, followed by a dry brushing with Tamiya Deck Tan enamel and a light spray of Testor’s Dullcote lacquer.  I should probably have been a bit more adventurous, experimenting with filters and a bit more weathering, but in the end I chickened out and went for a reasonably clean finish.

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Thumbnail panels:

Anyone comparing the original photograph with the finished model will note several inconsistencies, such as the model’s lack of side racks and radio antennae.  However because I was aiming for a largely out of the box build, I decided not to include these details. 

The base is a resin item from Verlinden, the surface of which was annoyingly covered with thousands of air bubbles.  However, it painted up well, and complements the model nicely.